In municipal government workplaces, dangers to employee health and wellness can come in many forms — hazardous chemicals or other environmental factors, insufficient personal protective equipment or dangerous machinery.
To keep workers safe, city and town leaders need to know where the dangers exist in their workspaces, and they need to know that written safety plans have been implemented to make the working environment as safe as possible.
To help with this, the Municipal Association's Risk Management Services has created an Onsite Safety Assessment Checklist that shows what types of dangers are present, what the city has done about them, and whether ongoing safety precautions are in place and properly documented. Here are some of the items from the checklist:
- First aid kits – Cities should make sure that first aid kits are located in all buildings and vehicles.
- Fire extinguishers – Proper fire extinguisher locations are determined by the layout of a building and the class of the fire extinguisher. There should be at least one per floor and one per every 3,000 square feet in the building. For Class A, C or D extinguishers, there should be no more than 75 feet of walking distance from any location to the extinguisher, and for Class B, there should be no more than 50 feet. The extinguishers should be regularly inspected and employees should be trained in their use.
- Written materials — Worksites should have postings containing emergency phone numbers and the worksite's address. Appropriate Occupational Safety and Health Administration posters should be posted as well. For example, the OSHA 3165 poster explains worker's rights relating to safety as well as safety-related legal requirements for employers. For worksites with hazardous substances, all such substances should be labeled with appropriate safety data sheets on site.
- Plans and trainings – Employers need to develop and use a written comprehensive safety program. They should provide safety-related new hire orientation as well as ongoing hazard communication training and safety meetings. Some hazards need particular training, such as fall protection training for those who work at elevated heights, forklift training, crane or boom operation training, personal protective equipment training or trenching safety training. Training should always be documented.
- OSHA 300 form – Cities should maintain an OSHA 300 form, which tracks workplace safety incidents for the annual report to OSHA.
For full details on the safety assessment checklist, contact John Ciesielski, loss control consultant, at jciesielski@masc.sc or 803.354.4752. For members of the SC Municipal Insurance Trust and SC Municipal Insurance and Risk Financing Fund, Ciesielski conducts hazard recognition training in the form of a mock safety inspection, identifying hazards in the worksite in accordance with OSHA Standard 1910 and 1926. With hazards identified, he develops practical means for reducing the danger involved, as well as strategies for preventing the dangers from reoccurring. Interested members can contact Ciesielski to schedule training.